Inked
by Pointy Objects
Summary: In which Kagome does not visit the florist for any reason other than to draw flowers, and Kouga absolutely doesn't wonder what she's (literally) hiding up her sleeve. Tattoo Shop/Flower Shop AU


Inked: Chapter One

* * *

"So...how's the boyfriend this morning?"

Kagome dropped her bag on her desk and sighed in the direction of her friend. She wanted to ignore her; complain that it was too early to entertain such teasings, but she could not resist.

"I don't know, as I do not have one…"

Sango shot her friend a knowing look and began tapping her long black nail on the tabletop in front of her.

"And I came here _first_, so...I wouldn't know anyway." Kagome went back to arranging her station, even though she'd done so the night before. "Can you stop staring at me now?"

"Fine. We'll have it your way; how's your strictly platonic friend from whom you receive flowers on a regular basis?"

"It's not that _regular_. And he's your friend too."

"Yet here I sit...sans bouquet." Sango's smile widened and the twin piercings on each side of her mouth slid over her teeth. Her grin was a stark contrast against the pale skin of her face and her deep black lipstick. Kagome thought about giving black lipstick a try again, but then remembered the jeers from her coworkers and taunts of "Baby Sango", before she put the idea to bed. It was bad enough they were the only two female artists in the shop; she didn't need to look as though she had no individuality at all. Besides, black lipstick always ended up on her teeth and she preferred lip gloss anyway. "As soon as they die, you get new ones."

"I'm trying to get better at photo realism, and I've had dozens of requests for flowers lately." Saying it outloud, as opposed to in her head made it sound more valid, and less like an excuse to go across the street once or twice or four times a week.

Kagome watched as Sango scratched at her arm, brushing the cacophony of images there. She wore two full sleeves, as well as a myriad of other tattoos, and Kagome would sometimes catch Sango cradling her own arms, as if holding something precious. "Of course, because there's no such thing as the internet, or search engines or reference photos. We must all visit the hot florist across the street to perfect our craft, how could I forget."

"You know I'm not good at drawing from photos-"

"Ha! You didn't deny that he's hot!"

Kagome felt her chest heat up. "I didn't...I..._you_ said it!"

"He's not ugly."

"Not ugly?"

"It's how people in monogamous relationships refer to attractive people."

"Well, ugly or not, that has nothing to do with why I go over there. We are just friends."

"That's so boring, I'm about to take up knitting," Sango said, flexing her fingers and making them crack. The action made the rest of the shop shudder, but it only served to make Kagome self conscious. She looked at her short fingernails, painted lavender and chipping (as opposed to Sango's shining, black 'talons', filed to a point that rivaled her tattooing needles), and couldn't help but compare herself to her friend. Sango was tall and imposing in head-to-toe leather, fully confident in her dark aesthetic to take on anyone who said otherwise. Next to her, Kagome felt childish; instead of Sango's commanding black and grey ombre to her hair she went with black and pink. Today's sweater was light-purple, oversized, and covered in hearts. And because she suffered through heels the day before, she gave her feet a rest that day with high-top shoes in lavender.

She somehow went from 'Baby Sango' to 'Infant Sango'.

"Knitting can be fun," she pouted, sounding even more like a kid.

Sango looked at her wickedly before speaking. "I bet he's got a knot you can untie-"

Kagome dropped a roll of paper towels, and scrambled to pick them up. "Sango, that's so inappropriate!" She told her from the floor.

"Oh dear, I forgot that the Boy Scouts were touring the shop today! We're adults who can have adult conversations about other adults in adult situations."

Kagome sighed, and she scratched her nose as a distraction. Sango offered to pierce it some weeks ago, but it still bothered her from time to time, particularly when Kouga was mentioned. "Maybe we can talk about something else?"

Her friend approached and lowered a camera in front of her face. It wasn't exactly new, but Sango kept it around the shop in case someone did a piece that was particularly amazing, and it deserved a place of honor on the website. "Fine. I'm updating the website and I need new photos of the shop."

"Anything else?" Kagome asked, propping herself up on the seat of her chair.

"Well, I was thinking the best view would be from across the street."

Her eyes narrowed, seeing the trap from afar. "Oh, really?" she asked, skeptically.

Sango smiled again, trouble and mischief reflected in her eyes. "And while you're over there, pick up something to brighten up the place." Sango waved her hand around in a nondescript manner, and Kagome's eyes followed, wondering what exactly she meant.

"'Brighten up the place'? Why not just display Miroku's latest apology bouquet like you usually do?"

"He's been surprisingly well-behaved as of late." Sango told her. "Besides those were mostly to help out Kou-"

"Help out?"

"He hasn't told you? I guess that would be some pretty depressing pillow talk-"

"Is Kouga in trouble?" Kagome interrupted, ignoring the direction of Sango's statement.

"All he's told me is that the shop isn't doing as well as it has. But, don't tell him I told you." Sango's eyes went wide, and Kagome remembered how she ran such a tight ship.

"Of course not. I'm gonna go get those photos now."

* * *

"New job as the neighborhood paparazzi?"

Kouga watched as Kagome whirled to greet him, and he tried to keep his gaze at her face. Once she smiled, it was less difficult than he remembered. There was no way, he reasoned, that she knew just how cute she was, otherwise she wouldn't have wasted so much time hanging around him.

"Ink isn't cheap, ya know," she joked. "Um, Sango wanted some new photos of the shop, and it looks a little better from across the street. I can snap a few for you, if you want. You can update your website."

Kouga made a face and looked back at his brick and mortar shop. "I don't really have a website. Even if I did, I couldn't compete with all those flower websites, anyway."

"What about social media? Our walk-ins practically doubled after we got our Instantgram."

"...she told you, didn't she?"

Kagome blinked. "Who told me what?" She grinned at him again, though less sincerely this time. There was a hint of pity in her big, brown eyes and he found he didn't like the sight of it.

"Sango...that I'm...not doing great." He hated admitting it. Maybe if he was more proactive before, with a website and social media and all that, Lupus Blooms would be doing better than it was. He wouldn't have to count coins at the end of the night, desperately hoping someone would call or walk in for an order.

"Not...in so many words. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. Besides, I should be fine until the end of the year. After that, I might need to consider a move."

"To another shop?" Kagome asked innocently. Kouga tried no to, even in his mind, think of her as cute too often. He knew how much she hated it, but it was so accurate.

"To another career."

"Oh."

Kouga hated the look of realization and sadness that swept over her face, and wanted to take back his last statement if he could avoid making her feel badly. "Don't worry; I'll figure something out."

He watched her grope for her words, before starting. "I just...couldn't imagine looking across the street and not seeing you...r shop."

Without letting himself get hopeful, he told her, "Don't sweat it."

Kagome shrugged, and Kouga wished he hadn't let their conversation go down such a grim path. She looked away, as discomfited by the down-turn in their exchange as he. Kouga took advantage of the lull as an opportunity to more closely take in her attire for the day. It was always a fun distraction for him to see what color she would choose as a feature, amongst her sea of mostly black. It was almost as if she tried to be 'gothic' but liked the softness of pastels and cat-motifs too much to give it up. She seemed to have a penchant for purple, and today's shade was as light as possible while still holding the hue of what he guessed was her favorite color. From under her large sweater, he could see the hem of a black skirt, leaving the rest of her legs, mostly exposed under opaque black tights. She was several inches shorter than he, but he still noticed the length of her legs anytime she was nearby. No matter the weather, she was always wearing dark or opaque tights, and Kouga wondered if the expanse of her thigh was anything compared to the rest of her skin. Without any knowledge to go on, he conjured for himself the softness of her skin, the feel of her hands closing over his, how her deceptively small hands would feel gliding over the planes of his body-

"Well," she said cheerfully, breaking him out of his daydream. "I'm here to pick up something for the shop as well. To 'brighten it up', whatever that means." Never were miniskirts so distracting until she moved in across the street.

"I've got an arrangement of hydrangeas that a bride was supposed to pick up yesterday. Not sure why they didn't make it down the aisle, but you're welcome to them." She followed him into the shop without another word, and Kouga lifted a few bundles of nearly-white hydrangeas out of a bucket of water.

"Why do hydrangeas remind me of popcorn?" Kagome asked, running a hand delicately over the pale yellow blooms.

"Did you skip lunch?" he joked.

"Not today...come on, you know you see it too." Kagome leaned over the counter and tilted her head.

"I can't remember the last time I had popcorn…" Kouga said, trying not to examine her too closely. Their usual exchanges were from behind the counter, or occasionally when she'd walk the aisles of the shop with him. Physical contact only happened a few times (not for lack of trying on his part), and having her so close was chipping at his self-control. He could at least put to rest one mystery that she left him with: up close she smelled amazing. Better than irises, lilies and gerber daisies combined.

"It was my favorite snack as a kid. My family would go to the carnival and get the saltiest, sweetest snacks you could imagine."

Kouga broke out into a grin. Kagome began working across the street six months prior, and he was seriously contemplating just getting a tattoo so he could talk to her for more than a few minutes a day. Learning about her only in little snippets was annoying, but rewarding. "The next time the fair is in town, I'll get you an extra large bag."

Kagome's eyes went wide, and her brow furrowed. Kouga worried that he said something wrong, but wasn't fully aware of what he said to know how to remedy it, if he did.

"I think I have an idea..." Kagome said, looking around the room, quickly. Kouga wanted to follow her train of thought, but could already tell that she was moving miles a minute, and his chances of catching up were slim to none.

"An idea for what? Popcorn?"

"No, its...I have to go sketch...and take notes. I'll see you later!" she said quickly, leaving a handful of bills , much more than the hydrangeas were worth, on the counter, grabbing the vase from him, and rushing out of the door. The bell over the door jingled at her exit, and Kouga watched until she made it safely across the street, before laughing to himself.

"I have an idea!"

Had he not known who was approaching him from behind, under a blinking streetlight, as he locked up his shop, his first response would have been much more forceful. It happened only one before, and the would-be assailant ended up on the ground with Kouga growling angrily over him.

Seeing as it was Kagome behind him, clearly out of breath and panting, he figured that Kagome looking up at him would produce a very different kind of growl.

"Yeah, you said that about five hours ago, and then you ran away from me," he said, feigning dejection. He turned to look at her, and found that if she was cute before, she was breathtaking now. Her hair, dar black at the roots and turning pink at the ends, was in disarray, and she was steadily trying to catch her breath. Kouga ignored the direction of an out-of-breath Kagome in any fashion other than sprinting a few yards to talk to him, and took in the notebook and papers in her hands. Chuckling at her choice of stationary, he couldn't help but notice that her notebook was very her: pink and purple swirls behind the silohuette of a black cat with green eyes.

"Sorry," she said, brushing hair out of her face. One lock was especially unruly, and kept finding its way to dangle over her eyes and in front of her nose. Without thinking, Kouga stepped forward and brushed it behind her ear. Once secured, he lingered only a moment, realizing that she was no longer struggling to catch her breath, but had stopped breathing altogether. For the sake of both of them, he withdrew his hand and stepped back.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, it's okay-"

"You were saying?"

"Oh yeah, I...I have an idea to help you out..." Kagome started fumbling with her papers and her notebook. Each sheet of paper was covered with notes in varying colors, presumably that meant different things, and Kouga was overwhelmed with the amount of work she clearly spent on this.

"Kagome, you didn't have to do that," he told her, stepping forward again to help her organize her chaos.

Ignoring him, Kagome kept speaking, finally pulling a sketch of their street out from her notebook. He could tell that each building and business was represented accurately, with notes and arrows in between her drawings. "It's a community fair...like a block party for all the businesses on our...block. I was thinking we could have raffles and music and food and-"

"I don't know." Kouga was in the good graces of everyone on the block; they all recognized the need to keep small businesses thriving, and were willing to support each other. But, no one had planned anything like this since he'd been there. Every now and then there were grand openings or private events, but nothing at that scale.

"What have you got to lose? You're not the only business on this block whose struggling," Kagome told him. She bit at her top lip and offered a negotiation. "If I can get eight other businesses to sign up, will you?"

Kouga sighed. She wasn't wrong. He definitely needed the help, and so did a few other businesses. The foot traffic might bring in more people, and more people meant more business. And with enough business, he could keep his shop running, and continue his languid pursuit of the tattoo artist from across the street. "Sure."

Kagome flailed and smiled wider than he'd ever seen. "That makes me so happy." Without giving him a chance to explain, she was already, flipping through her pages again. "Okay, I need to go home and make some phone calls. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."For the second time that day, Kouga watched her proceed across the street, and waved back when she made it to her car. He waited until she'd driven away to begin his walk home, only a few blocks from his shop. As he walked he contemplated Kagome's plan and whether or not it would work. She seemed the optimistic sort, and if she could manage to pair soft pink with combat boots, while stabbing grown men with needles on a daily basis, he figured she could plan a little community block party. His thinking eventually drifted to their first meeting, and how timid he was back then, even more so than now.

_In his defense, he tried not to watch her. He tried really, really hard. _

_But business was slow; slower than usual, and there was a startling lack of people wandering by outside. The sky was overcast, driving pedestrians indoors, and Kouga guessed he would be closing up early. But, now he had a customer, and any thoughts of heading home early were gone._

_She'd been in twice before, not that he was tracking her. The tattoo shop had been across the street for years, and while their client crossover wasn't large by any means, occasionally someone would need a bouquet or two to make it through a particularly painful session. The neighborhood was small and relatively close knit, so, if nothing else, Kouga could expect a wave or greeting from across the street when he passed by. _

_The newest artist to the Feudal Ink was particularly friendly. He noticed that she waved to every shop owner who caught her eye, and he made sure to catch hers as often as possible without looking like a creep. Thankfully, he'd ordered several hibiscus shrubs, and kept them just outside of the flower shop's glass doors. They were recognizable and popular, causing passersby to stop and admire them, not to mention being the thirstiest of his plants that year, they got a healthy dose of water every morning. Should Kouga be watering his plants at the same time that the newest tattoo artist waa coming in to work...well, that was just a happy coincidence._

_She'd only been in the shop for a few minutes, and despite the customary greeting of welcome and a general offer of assistance, they hadn't spoken much. Kouga pretended to be making a list of vague importance from behind the counter, as she wandered through the aisles, brushing her hands over leaves and inspecting the premade bouquets with earnest. Of course she was beautiful and he wanted to talk to her, but he also didn't want to scare her straight out of his shop. Aside from their difference in height, she and the only other female tattoo artist of the establishment, Sango, could have passed as family, if not siblings. Sango was often receiving arrangements, seemingly from the same individual, and almost always ordered over the phone and with a note of apology. During a delivery one day, Kouga asked if he was unwittingly coming to the aide of a pesky stalker and wanted to know if he should stop taking his calls, and effectively, his money. Sango waved a hand nonchalantly in his direction (nearly skewering him with her nail) and mentioned that her on again, off again significant other had a penchant for saying/doing things before thinking and she was all too happy to help out a fellow small business, and teach her boyfriend a lesson at the same time. He took the opportunity to ask after their newest artist (in the most casual way that he knew how), but Sango saw right through his facade and gave out the details she felt were pertinent, without betraying the trust of her friend. _

_Her name was Kagome, she'd been tattooing only a few years, and was still in her apprenticeship. Despite her lack of experience, she was skilled at black and grey portraits, and was proving an asset to the shop, trying to soak up anything she could that would make her a good artist. Sango was unsure of Kagome's relationship status, and admitted she wasn't sure if she'd reveal it, even if she did know. Kouga was one of the nicest guys that she knew, and she didn't want their opinion of the other colored by her regard for them both. _

_In his musings, Kouga lost sight of his lone customer and was startled when she appeared before him. _

"_Can I buy some flowers?" she asked, bouncing on her heels and smiling. _

_After years across the street from a tattoo shop, Kouga learned not to judge tattoo artists or the recipients of their art. His parents and friends initially worried about the threat of biker gangs, and muscle-bound men with skulls scrawled over their faces, but he knew better. Still, Kagome's stature and demeanor threw him off. She was a head shorter than him, if not more, and her smiling face was surrounded by a mass of thick, dark hair, the ends dipped in pink. His first glance at her was quick and discerning; he didn't want to look like he was sizing her up before formally introducing himself. Even so, he spotted the ink that peeked out from under her sleeve and on her neck from behind her mass of hair, and wanted to know what they looked like._

"_Sure," he responded, scanning the countertop for her finds, before she gestured behind him. Against the wall behind the cash register were hanging pots of water, each filled to different amounts with various cut flowers, arranged by color. He smiled at his awkwardness and grabbed for a plastic cone to gather her purchase. _

"_I'll take…" she began, her brown eyes moving up and down the rows of flowers, as she rested her elbows on and leaned over the counter. "That really bright, pink one? Is that a lily?"_

"_Yeah. A Stargazer," Kouga answered, his throat bobbing as he dipped in the water to fish out a stalk for her._

"_Pretty. How about that white one…" she said, gesturing with a short black nail over his shoulder. "What are they?" _

"_These are garden variety hydrangeas."_

"_And can I have a couple of those hibiscus flowers from outside too?"_

_"Sure," he said, escorting her outside. She pointed to the blooms she wanted and once back inside, he began to total her purchase. "This is an...interesting bouquet you're putting together."_

_"Well, it's not quite a bouquet. I work across the street, and I'm trying to get better at drawing flowers…" she said, trailing off._

_"Don't be embarrassed...I stare at these guys all day, and I probably couldn't draw them to save my life."_

_"I don't believe that," Kagome said skeptically, as she paid for her flowers._

_To prove his point, Kouga printed her receipt and turned it over. On the back, he drew a crude daisy, complete with wiggly lines and a lackluster leaf off to the side._

_"I think that's a perfectly decent...daisy?" Kagome asked him, smiling._

_He slid the receipt across the counter to her, and noticed that she didn't immediately crumple it, as most were likely to do. "Something tells me yours would be much better…" _

_"I guess you'll have to see."_

_"Maybe you could sketch something and bring it by. When you're not busy."_

_Kouga watched as she pretended to weigh the idea in her mind. "I could do that. Thanks for my flowers…"_

_"Kouga," he finished, stretching out his hand across the counter._

_"Kagome," she said, smiling back. She left the shop , ringing the bell over the door as she departed. _

_Kouga found himself repeating the name to himself while pruning roses, and while refilling the ice trays for the orchids. Later, when the sun set and the shop needed a good sweeping, her name fell from his lips again. _

'_Kagome…'_

* * *

"'Kagome!" Kouga shouted, probably louder than he intended. While they interacted at some point every morning, he was clearly surprised to see her at the top of the street, and not at the end of the cul-de-sac, where the tattoo shop and flower shop sat. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you...here."

Kagome began to rethink her plan. She didn't want to take up too much of his time, but she wanted to keep him updated on what she got around to doing the night before. It was surprisingly easy to find businesses willing to sign up, and the few who didn't said that they would at least think about it and get back to her, or contribute in some other fashion to the event.

"I noticed that you come from this way, and I thought I'd...meet you early," she said, kicking herself for being so honest. A dozen lies popped into her head as she finished speaking, and Kagome wondered why she couldn't have gone with one of those instead of the truth. Now he was sure to think she was a stalker, or at least a bit nutty.

"Yeah, I live a few blocks that way," he began, gesturing behind him. "If you ever need a break from your needles and ink, and don't want to put up with the smell of my shop, you can go over and...crash."

"I like how your shop smells," Kagome said quietly. Outside she was smiling, but inwardly she was cringing. Everything that came out of her mouth was spontaneous and honest but also weird and kind of made her want to run in the other direction. She scratched at her nose ring and continued on with the initial reason for her awkward encounter. "So, I don't know how I managed it, but...I did it! I got eight businesses to sign up for the black party…" She restrained herself from pausing in their stride to do a happy dance, and with good reason. Kouga looked anything but enthused at her news, and doubt began to creep into her mind, between the cracks of her excitement.

"I really appreciate what you're doing, but-"

"I'm just trying to help." Kagome tried not to look too dejected, but knew she was failing. Sango always told her she wore too many of her emotions on her face.

"I know…"

Kagome sighed and smiled to cover her blossoming disappointment. Kouga never actually asked for her help, and while her intentions were in the right place, she recognized that she could be a bit pushy. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressured you to participate in this."

"No, it's a great idea. I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Strand from The Knitting Barn wants to donate some scarves as door prizes. I just don't want to be the person to tell her it's summer." They'd arrived at Lupus Blooms,and Kouga turned to unlock the door. The bell over them jingled, and Kagome stepped in as he held the door for her. She scooted by, unintentionally brushing past him as she walked in. Immediately, heat rushed to her neck and chest, and Kagome took a few shallow breaths to calm herself down. Doing that, however, brought to her senses fresh cut blooms, fragrant flowers and the slight must of rich dirt from the planter scattered about the shop; all smells that reminded her of the reason why her head was feeling so light all of a sudden.

"I think she knows." Kagome worried at her lip and looked at her feet. "It sure is warm in here!" Kagome told him, too enthusiastically. She watched as his face dropped slightly, and he excused himself to run into his back room. Kagome had never been back there, and often wondered what he was growing out of sight. Before she could wonder too long, he came back out, looking more than relieved.

"Sorry, I was making sure the air conditioning didn't shut off and ruin some hostas I've got back don't mind the cold, but they don't do well at all in the heat, and if it gets above 78 degrees-what?"

"It's nothing," Kagome said, wondering how she could make a quick exit and spend the rest of the day (or decade) replaying this conversation in her head and fixing every misstep. She brought her thoughts back to the matter at hand. "It's entirely up to you. Don't feel bad if you don't want to have a part in the block party."

Kouga brought a hand to the back of his neck, either scratching an itch or massaging a sore muscle. Kagome's gaze was diverted to the large expanse of tanned, empty skin of his upper arm. In the months that they knew each other, she would occasionally find reason to run her hand over his biceps; commenting that he should put something there, but her suggestions were always dismissed with a laugh. Now, she couldn't imagine a single image or word she could add to such a perfect stretch of flesh. She watched as his arm flexed, and a particular bulge of muscle pressed against his skin-

"I'm in. Tell me what I need to do."

"Me," Kagome answered too quickly, catching her breath as she realized what she said, outloud. "I mean, me...I...I'm...I have everything handled. Well, mostly. Um, you just...just let me handle it." Sango was not going to let her live this down. She would be haunted by it for the remainder of her days. "Oh, what do you want to raffle off?"

"Raffle off?" Kouga asked, seeming to have missed her almost-heart attack.

"Yeah; I was thinking that everyone who attends the block party can buy raffle tickets and each business will give away something to different patrons. Mr. Capri at the bakery, for example, is giving away a dozen cookies." she told him, consulting her list.

"So I should bribe people with...cookies?"

"It's not bribery. It's an incentive for people to visit once at the block party, and then come back again. What's something people typically come in here for?"

"Directions to the mall."

"I'm being serious."

"Okay, okay," Kouga began, holding up his hands. "Everybody likes roses."

"So a dozen roses? Sounds good." Kagome scrawled his name on her list next to his raffle prize, and reminded herself to write it a little neater, and in a prettier color when she got back to the shop. "And the massage parlor is raffling off a couples massage, the jewelry store has an earring and necklace set and the nail salon has a couples mani/pedi session. You know what that means."

Kouga blinked. "I actually don't. "

Kagome huffed. "That means someone is going to drag their significant other to this block party and have them sign up for every raffle in hopes of winning a hot date. Or a manicure. Or a bouquet of roses."

"Wishful thinking?"

"Shop owners can't participate in the raffle. If I want a couples massage, it seems as though I will have to buy one myself."

"I'm sure this block party will change that."

Dropping her lists on the counter, Kagome laughed. Despite her attraction to him, Kagome had to admit that she didn't know a lot about him. Anytime they hung out, it was in a group setting; Sango was always inviting him along with their mutual friends, but those occasions were not really conducive to getting to know someone one-on-one. She preferred to know a person well before engaging in anything as serious as couples' massage. "I'll keep my eyes peeled at the party for anyone looking particularly lonely."

She couldn't read the chuckle that Kouga let escape, and was a little saddened when he spoke again, completely changing the subject. "Need anything else?"

Kagome shook her head. She guessed that he was ready to be free of her company. "No, I'm going to spend the rest of the day calling food vendors, looking for tent rentals and figuring out how to close the street for a day."

"I can help if you want. I have some event planning...connections."

"Really? That would be a huge help."

"Yeah? Here, let me text her right now," he said, extracting his phone from his back pocket, and turning away to begin typing on his phone.

_Her?_ Kagome righted her brow and tried not to look dejected. She didn't want to be jealous, and realized that she had no right to be. She turned as well, looking out of the glass doors to her shop across the street. Sango was just opening up, and before she could turn away, the two locked eyes from across the street. Sango smiled knowingly, nodding her approval at Kagome being in the shop first thing in the morning. Her nod slowly turned into a slow-motion body roll, made more awkward by the fact that she was A) standing in front of her own business, and B) wearing a fair amount of chain, and no doubt making enough noise to attract all of the neighborhood cats. When her gyrating gew more crude, complete with mouthing "Yes!" and whipping her dark grey hair around in feigned orgasm, Kagome turned around, hoping that Sango would stop soon. Kouga turned soon after, and much to her chagrin, looked over Kagome's head and across the street.

"Is she...okay?" he asked, never taking his eyes off the sight from across the street.

"Uh, yeah...she's...taking an interpretive dance class at the Y. Sometimes, she...practices. Right out in the street,"Kagome lied. Sango finally stopped, and without a hint of embarrassment, waved with her free hand, unlocked the door, and disappeared into her shop.

"Hmm. Okay, then." Kouga replied, and if he were confused at all, Kagome couldn't see it. "I'll drop by if I hear anything. And remind me to set aside a few roses for you," he offered.

Kagome fought the wrinkle of her nose, and smiled, though not quickly enough. "Mmm…thanks."

"What's wrong with roses?" Kouga asked, and Kagome felt she may as well have insulted one of his children.

"Nothing, it's just...they're a little generic? I don't know, they're fine. But they're not my favorites," she said with a shrug.

"What are your favorites?"

"You'll just have to find out like everybody else…"

Kagome walked across the street as calmly as she could, telling herself not to look back. Even so, one across the street and at the door of Feudal Ink, she turned to open the door,and was pleased to find Kouga in his own doorway, waving at her.

* * *

A/N: My first multi-chap story in this fandom! Feel free to review and let me know how you like it! It's also posted over on AO3, under the same pen name!

-Pointy_O


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